W Hotel, San Diego – California

Yet another Starwood Hotel stay again! The W Hotel is notoriously known for their “chic and contemporary” ambience.  I haven’t stayed at the other W Hotels, but I have visited the one in San Francisco and what I love is the bar/lounge entrance at night.  In the evening, the hotel lobby becomes the party scene and DJ’s spinning either House or Hip Hop.  This hotel is not recommended for young children or families, I would recommend this to my single ready to mingle friends and to couples only. Interestingly, the entry rug of the elevator changes during the morning, afternoon and evening.  The elevator rug greets with a “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon” or “Good Evening,” obviously, dependent on what time of day it is. 

The W Bed

 I was always under the impression that regardless of which Starwood Hotel you stay in, they’ll always supply you with their “Heavenly” bed selection.  I jumped into bed and realized that this bed was not the usual “heavenly” bed, only to realize that the W hotel has their own “W bed” line.  Never seems to amaze me on how much Starwood tries to capitalize on their various room amenities, featured bed linens, mattresses, shower heads, robes, etc. The bed was definitely comfortable, but I didn’t care too much for the pillows.  I enjoy a soft pillow, but it also needs to have a certain firmness.  My head sunk in and it was hard for me to fall asleep easily with the W bedding collection.

What I love about the room is the option to lounge by the window with their cushioned bench.  The reading materials were entertaining and nothing beats a view of other skylines within the vicinity.  Luckily for us, we had beautiful blue skies!

Lounge by the Window

It all came back to me on the reason why I heart staying at the W Hotel… the bliss branded shampoo, conditioner, soap, face wash, body wash and lotion.  Lemon scented everything!  I used every bit of their amenities and even asked for more.  BLISS could be found at Sephora and their brand is not cheap! So while you stay at the W Hotel, enjoy as much of it as you can because it’s all included with your room deal.

"Ignorance is BLISS"...

Pros: The W Hotel is nicely situated in the more quiet side of town.  Finding parking near the hotel is easy and open meters around the blocks surrounding the hotel.  It’s also a plus to have a bar/lounge setting in your hotel, if you don’t feel like leaving and want to just chill with a drink or two.

Cons:  This hotel is a few blocks away from Gaslamp Quarters, which means a $5 cab ride is much-needed for all the nightlife and excitement.  The pool is very shallow and not very big.  More than likely you are only able to fit a total of 40-50 people around/inside the pool area.  Not sure why they designed the pool/beach bar the way they did because don’t get it twisted, the two are not located in the same area.  The gym is next to the pool, which to me, should’ve been the bar area instead.  Perhaps they could do some remodeling in the near future or rethink the design of their layout. Parking at this hotel is $26/night.  Surrounding lots will charge anywhere from $10-17/day. Parking is free from 6PM Saturday – Sunday.

Room 1020

• Hotel Ambience: Chic and Contemporary
• Hotel Staff: Friendly and had no issues with late check-out.
• Hotel Amenities: Enjoyed the spacious room, contemporary furniture, iPod speakers and bliss branded bathroom supplies.
• Cleanliness of Hotel:  Clean.
• Overall Experience:  I highly recommend this hotel for the young/single/couples crowd.  If you are coming with children, this hotel would not be ideal.  Wish they had visioned the pool and beach bar access to be joined together vs. being separate, the whole floor plan didn’t make sense to me. Hotel earned brownie points for having an ACURA complimentary car service from/to the hotel, however, car service is only available during a specified time.  Nice to be able to get picked up/dropped off without a meter running.  Shops/restaurants in Gaslamp Quarters is not too far from the hotel.  I highly recommend trying Nobu at Hard Rock Hotel, their food was absolutely impeccable!